


The greatest gift our parents ever gave us was each other.

by ItFeelsLikeTheEnd



Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: Childhood Memories, F/M, Family, Love, M/M, Other, Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-11-28 18:37:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11423793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItFeelsLikeTheEnd/pseuds/ItFeelsLikeTheEnd
Summary: Zero decides not to call his sister because now she is doing great - as the P.I. has told him - and he doesn't want to ruin her life both because of memories and paparazzis: it's a sacrifice, but he wants to protect her. However, his sister may be the one who wants to be reunited with her older brother, no matter what, because she doesn't care about the media or their ghosts: her brother is worth more than anything else in the world, even her "freedom".





	1. A child whose behavior pushes you away is a child who needs connection before anything else.

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly focused on Laura. We don't know much about Laura's past, so I tried to think about how her life might have been.  
> It may sound a little bit dramatic at the beginning, but then things get better.

Laura was only a child when her world has been destroyed for the second time.

The first time it has happened, she was too little to understand what was actually happening, even though the pain was so tangible. Her mother left her and her brother in an unknown house, with unknown people. She was scared, but her brother tried to reassure her. She thought her mother would have come back, but she didn't. She never did. She didn't understand why it had happened. She didn't understand why there were so many kids in that house, she didn't know who they were. She didn't understand why her new "parents" were so rude and they didn't care about them. She didn't even understand simple thing, for example why the other kids in her school always got a cake and some presents for their birthdays and her foster parents didn't even remeber to tell her "Happy birthday". But she didn't care too much, because she had her older brother, Gideon. Gideon. Who told her not to worried if they mother would have never come back, because he would have never left her. Who protected her when the other kids in the house wanted something or when they bothered her. Who always cared about her, to the point of taking on the fatigue and the pain for both of them. Who always made her feel special, even if he couldn't do more than collected a flower on the street for her. Gideon was her hero and she wasn't scared about anything, as long as he was by her side.

However, after some years, things changed. People knew that things weren't nice in that house, but they knew as well that those kids, who weren't toddlers anymore and were pretty damaged by that environment, at least had a roof on their heads. It wouldn't have been easy to find them a house worthy this name. Nor even a family. So it was better for them to close their eyes and to pretend that this house was not a den of abuses.  
But, one day, the social workers looked at Laura from a new prospective and they took an unexpected decision. She was a pretty, little girl, with blond, waved hair and big, blue eyes. She looked like those little girls you see on the cover of some magazines or on a TV screen. They knew it would have been easy to place her in some upper class family looking for a perfect child to show to their perfect friends during their perfect holiday in some perfect island in Europe. She was really young too, so she probably wasn't too damaged, too - or maybe it was still early to say that, but, whatever. Her brother was cute too - they thought - but he was older and he already showed signs of the mistreatment they all had received in that house: it would have made things harder. Plus, it was easier to place one kid instead of two.  
That's how they decided to take her away from this "situation". They thought it might have been the right choice for her, the only way to save her. But it wasn't. Because her brother was everything to her and she ended up with nothing.  
She cried, she screamed while they were taking her outside that house. This household was a nightmare, but she was with her brother and it was enough to survive. They didn't even let her time to tell him "Goodbye". He ran as fast as he could to take his favorite toy, a small elephant he had found on the street - not surely a gift from Leo and Carla - and he gave it to her.  
"Giddy, I don't want to go with those people, I want to stay with you" she screamed, crying.  
He wanted to cry too, but he had to be stronger, to make her feel better "It's ok, Laura, don't worry, they will help you finding a new house, ten times better than that".  
"But I want to be with you" she replied.  
"Don't worry, I will find you and I will never let you go" he promised her.  
"I love you, Gideon" Laura said. She held the elephant and she looked him in the eyes until they were too far apart to do that.  
She trusted him and she never thought he would have lied to her, but, unfortunatly, things didn't go as he thought.

Laura spent her all childhood from a household to another, no one really cared about her. "We love her, but she always cries, she is too sad with us, maybe we aren't the right parents for her", that's what they all said - but it sounded more like a "I break up with you because I love you too much" said by a teenager boy who cheated on his girlfriend of two weeks.  
She changed so many families, but it was always worse. A disappointment after another, the hit of puberty and high-school's sick environment changed forever this little, innocent girl.

Throught all her life, she had always been cosidered the "weird" one, she had never fitted anywhere. But it was too much for a teenage girl, even for a strong one as her.  
The desire to fit in, to belong somewhere fast turned into the desire to be seen and accepted. That's the reason why she slowly started to let herself be touched by her schoolmates, by her peers. They seemed to care about her, they looked for her, they called her name. Obviously they didn't have good intention, but it was a long time since someone had shown some kind of "interest" in her and she wasn't able to understand that they actually didn't care. She should have run away from them, but she only noticed how many compliments those guys tell her and she felt like she was worthy. So she started to do that with everyone who was able to make her feel a little bit special, even if he was her teacher, her coach or some older neighbour. She didn't know they were all using her, she didn't know that all their "You are so pretty" were said only to get her in their bed. She didn't know they were even meaner that the kids before. She didn't know everyone made a fool of her. When this bomb exploded, she was too young and too lonely to face it. She didn't want to go out from her house, but her household was as sick as the people around her, so it wasn't a safe place anyway. It only got worse.  
The desire not to be seen, not to be the one they all talked about fast turned into the desire of disappear. That's the reason why she slowly gave up on food. But it was only another way to make fun of her. Horrible, sexual jokes were thrown at her, making feel her like she was nothing but a piece of trash. She felt more lonely than before, she wasn't able to handle all the pain she was feeling. But no one cared, not one of the guys that had used her, not even her supposed-to-be-parents.  
The desire to erase her sufference, to forget this emotional pain that couldn't be fix by any medicine fast turned into the desire to feel something stronger, to be able to forget the ache. That's the reason thy she slowly started to harm herself, because she could handle the pain of a cut: it didn't hurt her soul. She tried to hide them, but when they noticed them, they started to laught about her even more. More jokes, more nicknames. More tears, more pain. More touches by wrong men, more starving, more cuts. This, every single day.  
If only Gideon had been next to her. If she only had had his love. But she didn't know where he was, she didn't know how to talk to him. She didn't even known if he was alive.

One night she wanted nothing but to forget it all, so she stole some alcohol from her foster parents' pantry and she went, alone, in a park next to her neighborhood. She drank every bottle she got. Too much alcohol for an underfed young body. She fainted almost immediately. She woke up after a couple of days, in hospital. She didn't know that she was born again.  
The doctors had called the social workers to denounce her case. It wasn't normal that her "family" hadn't noticed her weight or her scars; it wasn't normal that she had had access to all those bottles. They found out that all the families she had been with were heedless, they didn't take care of the kids. The social workers wanted her to be free from this cage, but, still, she was underage. They took advantage of the fact that she had to stay in hospital to search the perfect family for her. They would have never left her suffering because some supposed "colleagues" of them had treated her like an object for ages.  
They found the right family for her. She changed family, she changed school, she changed her life. At first, she was extremely scared and prevented - who hadn't been like that in her place? She even tried to "test" them, acting so badly during the first period that they didn't know how to handle this. But they did, no matter how hard it had been for them. They knew she was acting like that because of her past and they helped her instead of buried her.  
The turning point had been a simple "This drawing is beautiful" her foster father told her when she was drawing an elephant for her Art assignment "Draw your future". He didn't say that to try to get into her bed; he didn't say that to tell her she looked like an elephant; he didn't tell her expecting something in return. He said that because he meant it. And he smiled after that, as he was proud of her. And then he walked away, because he knew that she prefered to stay alone all the time and he didn't want to invade her space. That, to her, meant a lot. She saw respect, patience, trust, pride and also love. Love. Love, for the first time, in a long time, since she had left her brother. Gideon. That's why she screamed "Stay" to him and she started to talk with him. He didn't ask anything, but she told him everything about Gideon. She hugged him and started to cry. In that moment, he became her father and she became his daughter. After this outcome, things went better with her mother too, she had been able to open up to her too and they became a family.

Having a family, for her, was something so special, she felt blessed. In this house, finally, she had found some peace; she felt like she belonged there.  
Outside, it was a different story. It was a new school, right, but kids aren't very different, all over the world. There were so many stories about her and her past. She didn't share it with the other students, but something came out. She was still really thin, but loose clothes and make-up covered most of the signs of her sufference. They said she was weird, that she was crazy and it was the reason why she had gone to the hospital, that she was a little bit slutty and changed school and family because she used to have sex with all the grown-up people she knew. Laura knew what they said behind her back, but she didn't react. Telling the truth might have caused more damages. They weren't worth her words, afterall. She didn't have any friend over there, but it wasn't the end of the world - she kept telling herself - now there was a real family at home.

Something changed on the last year. At the beginning of the year, Science's teacher gave to the class an assignment for a project. They had to work with another classmate and fate paired Laura and Sam.  
Sam was a quiet, average guy. He was very tall, slightly overweight, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He wasn't considered "the loser", but he wasn't popular as well. He had a few friends in his neighborhood, not so many in school, because no one ever cares about the guy who loves writing articles instead of the captain of the sport team of the school, but surely he didn't cry for that.  
Laura didn't know this guy very well. She had seen him previously, but they had never real talked to each other (also because she never let anyone in). On the other side, he had noticed her: a beautiful girl with sad eyes.

At the beginning, it was weird for both of them to work together. She kept thinking that he was just another guy from school, someone who had probably spoken about her past in a bad way. He kept thinking that he didn't know why, but he was sure she had a tender heart, he could read that into her cold, icy eyes and he didn't understand why she decided to act like she didn't have. But, sooner, they started to feel more comfortable with each other. They started to spend more time together, not only for their assignment. They had lunch together, they walked to school together, they ate something after lessons together. She started to like all his not-funny jokes and he started to like her gaze when she was focused on something. She noticed how beautiful his eyes were when they were lit by the Sun and he noticed how sweet her face was when she tie her hair in a ponytail, showing it. They were falling for each other and they didn't even know.

One afternoon, Sam took courage and he kissed her. It was both expected and unexpected for the two of them. He was so happy, she felt like it was her first real kiss.  
She slowly told him about her past, she trusted him. He listened to her; he was disgusted by how many horrible things had happened to her and he was amazed by how she had handled it all by herself. He "officially" met her parents and they liked him too, they thought he was a real good guy. Every step a teenage couple has to take was ten times more difficult for them, but they did it all. Physical intimacy was the hardest one, because it involved all the ghosts of her past: lack of love, her bad relationship with her weight, with her appearance, with her scars and with sex. She vaguely remembered his brother hugging and kissing her, she was too little to really know their meaning. She never really knew what it meant to be caressed, to be kissed, even to be looked at with love. She thought it was all about being considered the better prey. She thought she had to prove to him that she was the best he could ever get. She thought she couldn't show him her insecurities or he would have gone far, far away from her. The first night they had the chance to spend some time together alone, she thought she had to do it. She wore some sexy lingerie and she lowered the lights, to cover her scars and her shame. She jumped on him like a lion on a gazelle, her hands all over his body. Sam was a teenage boy, he couldn't say that the situation let him impassive, but when he saw her dull, faded eyes, he knew that the girl in front of him wasn't his girlfriend. They were the demons of her past and he couldn't be a passive spectator of this terrible show. He covered her with his hoodie, then he lay on the bed, hugging her so tight and kissing her forehead. She didn't know what to do, the worst thoughts were running in her head. But then he whispered in her ear "I love you" for the first time and she started to cry. It has been the more intimate situation she had ever been involved into.  
They made love together, but not that day. And she felt like it was her first time. It surely was. It was, because no one had ever kissed her so deep. No one had ever caressed her so long. No one had ever undressed her so slowly, without breaking their eye-contact, making her feel more than a body. No one had ever kissed and took care of her scars, like they were a part of her that she shouldn't be afraid or ashamed of. No one had ever asked her if she was sure that she wanted to do that. No one had ever reassured her, telling her they'd have never done anything she didn't want to. No one had never focused more on her than on themselves. No one had ever cuddled her after. No one had ever told her how beautiful she was. No one had ever been in love with her.  
All her walls were finally down.

Their relationship went on even during college. She studied to become a social worker (a REAL one), while he studied to become a journalist. And her life went on pretty well. She finally had a "normal" life.  
College meant new people and "new" was good for her. Her body was mostly healed, she had a pretty healty lifestyle, she worked out, she usually wore long sleeves or she used some special make-up for scars. People would have never had predjudices looking at her. She met a lot of people, even though she never got too close with them. She had her parents and the love of her life, she didn't need anyone else. Well, she needed someone, she needed her big brother, but she didn't know how to find him. She was sure she would have never found him. There were 7 billions people in the world, how had she known who was her brother? She might not have him by her side, but she had tattooed an elephant on her side with his name below it, to remind her that, afterall, she would have never been alone.  
After graduation, they went to live together. It was a little flat, not really fancy, but it was good for two young people who had already started to work. Working as social worker was tiring for her, because she put all her effort into that, but she loved it. She felt so good because she knew she was helping kids like her and her brother. She couldn't wait to be more than just a simple assistent. Sam found a job for a sport newspaper. He had never enjoyed sport too much, but during college he had found out that it was his field. He couldn't imagine this would have change their life.

One day Laura came back from work and she found her boyfriend flooded by papers.  
Laura asked him "Babe, what are all those sheets?".  
"All the news I got from L.A. basketball team, sweetie" he replied.  
She looked curious "Why are you so focused on that team? A basketball team? I thought your field was baseball".  
"It is" he replied "But the boss told us that he had made a deal with L.A. Devil's PR manager to give to the most brilliant journalists the chance to go to Los Angeles, meet the most influential people over there and make some interviews and...".  
Laura smiled "And you are one of them, aren't you?", he nodded, "Oh my God, babe, you are so good! I've always known you were the best, I'm so glad that your boss has found out that too, I love you".  
They kissed, but then he told her "Sweetie, I have to go to Los Angeles next week, is that ok for you?".  
She kissed his cheeks "Sure babe, I'll miss you for sure, but I'll think that you will be working for your future and I'll feel immediately better! I'm so proud of you".

He kept looking at all the articles he had found. He had to know everything about the team because there was no way he would have gone there not prepared about it. She sat down with him and she started to look at those papers. She wasn't interested in basketball, but she knew it was important for her boyfriend, so she wanted to share that with him. But soon she noticed something that captured her interest. It was the photo of a young, handsome guy. He had something familiar but she couldn't remember where she had seen him. But his face, his eyes... They were speaking to her.  
"Hey, babe, who's this guy?" she asked.  
"Zero" he said.  
She had a flash "WHAT!?". Zero? Zero! Zero. She hated this word. That's how her first foster family used to call her hero, her big brother. Zero. And they kept telling him "Zero, Zero".  
Sam didn't know how to react "Babe, are you ok?".  
She asked again "Who's this guy?".  
"I told you, he's Zero. He's the captain of the Devil's. He is really good, since he has come to L.A., they keep winning. He is also famous for his private life, he had a troubled past. He went to L.A. declaring himself as the perfect Christian boy, then he has been involved in a prostitution's scandal while he was dating the captain of the Devil's Girls and then he came out kissing the EVP of the team - who's also his ex-boss' son - on National TV" he replied.  
"But... Is Zero is name?" she asked him.  
"Mmm, no, it's a nickname... No one really knows anything about his life before basketball, not even his name, even though they said he had a troubled childhood" he answered "But honey, what's going on?".  
She stared at him in the eyes, in silence, for a few minutes, then she said "Sam... I think he's Gideon".


	2. Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura goes to Los Angeles with her boyfriend and it brings up a lot of memories.

"I think he's Gideon". Such a simple, short sentence. But it meant the world to her. 

Laura had dreamt about that moment for whole her life. The day in which, finally, she could have been reunited to her big brother. As a kid, she used to think that he might appeared as a Christmas' present or a birthday's gift; she used to think that sooner or later she would have found him in one of the new foster families in which she would have lived for a period of her life. But she had grown up and she had understood that this kind of things happens only in the movie. She had given up, she had started to think that she would have never met her brother ever again. It had been hard, she was too strong for giving up, but she had had to.  
But then she saw this photo, this guy, this smile. There was too much beard and the hair was too much bleached, but his eyes were talking to her: she had already seen those eyes. Those eyes had been her shelter during the first years of her childhood, the only things that had let her feel safe and protected. She thought she was a little bit insane: since when people look at photos of famous athletes and they find out that they are their long-lost siblings? This is more than insane. But there she was, thinking that this might be true. This guy was a basketball player and his brother loved basketball. He played for the Devil and it was his brother's favorite team. His nickname was Zero and Leo and Carla kept calling her brother "Zero" instead of Gideon. He had a troubled life and, based on her own experience, she knew it was extremely possible that her brother might have faced a lot of problems too. It was crazy, but all of that and his eyes... She couldn't fight this feeling.  
How is it possible to be so sure about something and so insecure about it at the same time? 

Sam looked at her, deep in her eyes "Your brother? Do you think he is you brother, Gideon?".  
"I know it sounds crazy, but I've felt something since the first moment I've seen the picture. Then you told me his name - well, his nickname - and I remember that Leo and Carla used to call him like that... And then you told me he had a troubled life and I think it's pretty common when you have this kind of experiences as a child - I've never heard about him since the day they brought me away, but unfortunatly I can say that it's likeable that he has had a complicated life, just like me... And he plays basketball with the Devil: his favorite sport, his favorite team, the city where we were born... I know it's stupid, but look at him: we are so similar... I remember those eyes so well... Sam, do you think it's possible? Or am I just crazy?" she told her boyfriend, almost forgetting to breathe.  
"Babe, please, calm down and breathe. Look at me and breathe with me" he cupped her face "Listen, I've never seen your brother, I can't tell you if they are the same person or not. There are some things in common between them, but I can't tell you if it's just a coincidence or not. But if you want, we can try to figure this out".  
She had tears in her eyes "How?".  
He answered "I may try to find out something more personal about him when I'll go to Los Angeles or...".  
She interrupted him "I want to come".  
Sam had his eyes wide opened "But, babe, it's L.A., are you sure you want to come back there?".  
"It's about my brother" she smiled "I have to".

Sam knew it was dangerous, going back to L.A., where all her problems had begun. And it was even more dangerous considering the reason why she wanted to do that. How did she know he was her brother? How many possibilities there were that he was actually her brother? How many people could say that their long-lost-siblings were now the rich and famous captain of the biggest team in the West Coast? He agreed with her: they looked very similar. But was it the truth or only a suggestion because he was thinking about their common features? He knew that it was dangerous, it could have the same effect of shooting her in the middle of her chest, but she had that sparkle light in her eyes that comes out only when she feels that all the troubles of the past are gone. Unfortunatly, no matter how much she fights it, no matter how much she loves her parents or her boyfriend, her brother is always on her mind. Unfortunatly because being far away from him makes her suffer so much. So they needed to find the truth. They would have gone there, together. She would have faced her childhood, her past, once again. But he would have held her hand.

"Babe, we'll go there, we'll be together, we'll find out the truth. Or, at least, we'll try. I hope that everything will be good, that you and your brother will be together again. But be careful. It might be impossible to get the chance to talk to him in a private situation. He might not be him. He might not remember you. He might want to forget everything about his past. You know better than me, people react differently when they go through this kind of situation and we both know that he probably had a complicated life too. So promise me you'll be ready for anything, also the bad" Sam told her.  
Laura smiled "I know babe, I'll handle this, with you".

Laura called her parents to tell them everything. Their feelings were similar to Sam's ones. The situation looked so unbelieveable, but, at the same time, it seemed realistic too. They were scared, but they knew she was a stubbor, young woman and they couldn't do anything but support her. They were happy because Sam would have been with her.  
Sam managed the "situation" with the newspaper and planned the trip: she could have travelled with them, but she couldn't have gone at the hotel with them. Because of their policy, Sam had to sleep in the hotel with the other journalists, but they could have gone out together during his spare time. Better than nothing. 

The flight went well. Sam held her hand all the time. She smiled to him, but he saw fear in her eyes. He kissed her cheek and her hand. She turned around and she looked outside the window. So many thoughts came across her mind. Her biological mother, Leo, Carla, her foster siblings. But also her brother, the ice-cream shop where he used to buy her some ice-cream when he had been able to collect some money, the song they had invented to fight the fear of the thunder. During the flight, she had been able to remember so many things about her childhood in L.A. that she had forgotten - probably to cope with all the pain. She started to tremble. She had always thought she was strong enough to handle this, but now she was starting to doubt it. Sam was so good at reading her mind, he knew what was going on. A kiss on her neck and a wink by the love of her life melted her heart. Maybe she wasn't strong enough, but she could count on Sam's strenght too. And it was more than enough.

Once they have landed, Sam accompanied Laura at the hostel in which she would have slept. It was really cheap and surely not fancy, but everything was so expensive in that city and she wasn't surely a spoiled girl. Sam wanted to know if it was a safe place for her; that was the only thing that mattered.  
That day, the first one, they didn't have anything planned with the newspaper, so Sam could spend the entire day with his girlfriend. They went out for a walk in the city. Sam tried anything he could to make her relax, but he felt, just by the way she was helding his hand, that she was devoured by anxiety. That's when he asked her what she wanted to do. That's when she told him she wanted to go to her old house.  
Sam knew how impacting this could be for her, but he knew better it was a little bit too late not to do that. So he said yes.

Laura was a little kid when she had lived there, but the vivid memory of the school and some other shops, helped her find out that house in such a short time. Sam was impressed, but he understood why it had been so easy: you can't forget a place like that.  
They were in front of their house. Were they? Was that the house? She remembered that as a disgusting, run-down hovel... But now... It was... A mansion!? The address was correct, she remembered the street, the buildings... It must be the place. She was shivering in front of that house. Sam put his arms around her. She was crying and she was telling random facts about the pictures of her childhood that was coming across her mind. The kids on the streets. The cat of the neighbour. The funny postman.  
She closed her mouth when she saw a person going out of that house. Was he Leo? No, not at all. He was a young, handsome brunette guy wearing an elegant suit. She didn't know who he was, but Sam did. Sam knew who he was. Sam knew what it meant. A professional athlete - not "any" professional athlete, but one of the best in the world - and a men coming from a wealthy family would have never chosen to live in such a modest block. Unless there was a reason behind that. And this reason could have been that that place had a meaning for one of them. Maybe one of them had spent his childhood there. And surely he wasn't the one named "Kinkade".  
"Babe, this man is Jude Kinkade" Sam told her.  
"Oh... And who is he? A baseball player?" she asked, innocently.  
"No... He is..." it was hard for Sam to spill it out "He's Zero's boyfriend".  
Laura jumped in his arm, crying. It was unbelieveable. But true. Maybe it wasn't that crazy. Maybe he was Gideon. Maybe she had the chance to have her brother by her side.  
But it was too early to talk about it.

That evening they had decided to have a romantic dinner on the beach, but Los Angeles was so expensive and their wallets didn't allow extravagant expenses. They bought some food at the local grocery and they ate in on the beach. Did they really need a five stars restaurant to enjoy a romantic dinner? Absolutely not.  
One bite after another, surrounded by the sounds of the waves and feeling the sand below their feet, they were sharing their love in the most common, simple and lovely way: just being together, the two of them.  
When all the greasy food was over, they lay down on the sand and they hugged, no need to say a single word. They had stayed like this for a long time, then she broke the silence.  
"Do you think he is my brother?" Laura asked quietly.  
Sam caressed her face "Babe, there are a lot of coincidences, but I don't know for sure".  
She was getting nervous "And... What if he hates me? I mean, I am the one who left".  
He kissed her cheek and her lips "You didn't leave, they took you away. And I don't think he hates you, not at all. I'm sure he misses you too. And he loves you. And even if he doesn't, it's not because of you. It'd be because of your horrible common past. But I'm sure it's not the case and he loves you. But, anyway, you don't have to wait a lot to get an answer to all these questions. Tomorrow I'm going to the Arena for the first time, so I'll find out my schedule and when I'll meet him".

The next morning, outside the Arena, Sam noticed a well-known figure.  
"Laura! What are you doing here?" Sam asked to his girlfriend.  
"I know I wasn't supposed to be her, but I couldn't wait, I need to know. Now!" she replied.  
"But I even don't know if I'll meet him today and..." he was trying to say, before being interrupted.  
Laura cut him off "You don't have to worry, I've got my plan. I may not know where to find him, but it will be easier to find his boyfriend: at least he has an office".  
"This is insane, you can't sneak in, I mean, there is security, cameras, you can't do this!" Sam was worried.  
"Trust me, I know what to do, see you later" she kissed him on his lips.

While her boyfriend was dealing with some of the Devil's PRs, Laura had found a way to get into the Arena. It took a lot of time, she had to flirt with one of the security's guy, but it was worth for her purpose. She didn't like that, but it worked.  
She was wandering aroung the hallways, when she noticed a tally on a door: "Jude Kinkade. EVP". The door was closed, but she entered into the office like she owned the place - it must be something in their DNA.  
"Excuse me?" Jude said, quite concerned.  
"Where's your boyfriend?" she asked him, giving no explanations.  
"Who are you? Why are you here? How did you get there?" Jude had so many questions but he didn't get any answers. But he was so captured by this girl. She had something so familiar to him, but he couldn't remember her. Was she a neighbour? Was she a new Devil Girl? But why does she want to talk with Zero? Oh, was she someone he used to hook up with?  
Right after that, someone entered into the room. A tall, blond guy. Zero. Gideon?  
Jude had just the time to tell him "Zero, she's looking for you, who is she?".  
Laura turned around with the biggest smile on her face. Photos had hidden so many details about this guy. Having him in front of herself gave her a lot of answers. She took and opened his hand and she put there the little elephant toy he had given her years and years before. Zero was speechless. Was it real? He looked in her eyes and he knew: he had seen those eyes and this smile years before.  
Zero smiled and he hugged her so tight, making her waving "I can't believe this is you".  
Jude wasn't understanding "Ehm... What's going on?".  
"Jude, she's her... My sister... Laura!" he kissed her cheek.  
"WHAT!?" Jude almost yelled.  
She told Zero "Have you talked about me to him?".  
Zero answered "Of course I did".  
Laura gave her hand to Jude "Nice to meet you Jude, I'm Laura, sorry for entering into your office this way, but... Well, I didn't know another good way to do it". The she came back to her brother "I can't believe it's you! I mean, it's like a dream. I gave up the idea of meeting you again like 10 years ago. But I've found you".  
"How have you done that?" Zero asked her.  
"Well, I guess it's easy when your brother is a superstar" she laughed.  
"Yeah, but... How did you know?" he asked.  
"I don't know... It's just... I've seen your photos... Your face was familiar... And the basketball and the Devils" she answered.  
"Did you still remember that?" he said.  
"Of course, you used to talk only about that! And then... 'Zero', how could I forget it? Why did you use that horrible nickname? I remember you hated it as much as I did" she replied.  
"I wanted to prove myself that Leo and Carla were wrong" he told her.  
She gave a tap on his arm "Oh, you really had to? Come on, you should have known since the beginning that you are anything but a zero!".  
"But tell me, how did you get there?" Zero asked her.  
"My boyfriend works for the newspaper which is here for the big article. The plan was to let him talk to you and find out if you were my brother... But, I couldn't wait, so I've flirted with one guy of the security - well, you should hire someone with a stronger self control - and here I am" she said.

A voice from the hallway was calling a name "Lauraaaaa! Lauraaaaaaaaaa?".  
"Oh, it's my boyfriend's voice" she said "I'm here Sam, in Jude Kinkade's office".  
Sam replied "Laura! You're getting yourself in big troubles! You can't enter into people's offices and...". He stopped talking. His eyes were wide opened when he saw Zero "Oh... I mean... Oh!".  
Laura run into his arms "Sam, it's him!!!!! He's my brother!!!! Like, for real! I love you" and she covered his face in kisses.  
Sam and Zero shook their hands, then he did the same with Jude.  
After a while, Laura's phone rang. It was her mom. She picked up "Mom!!! It's him!!!! He's my brother!!!! He's Gideon!!! Please, tell dad too!!! I'll call you later". 

They all talked for a while, but then it was time for Sam (and Laura) to go.  
"This is my number, call me, so we can meet in a more comfortable and private place" Zero told his sister.  
"Yeah, like the-used-to-be-Leo-and-Carla's-now-your-house?" she asked.  
Zero looked at her "How do you know...?".  
"I went to that house and I saw your boyfriend there. I think you'll have to explain this" she said.  
"I guess I have... Listen, where are you sleeping?" he asked.  
"He's in a hotel with the other journalist, I'm in a hostel" she replied.  
"Is it nice? I mean, why don't you go in a better hotel? Oh, I'll take care of it" Zero was looking for his wallet.  
"Not a chance!" she told him immediately "I don't want your money".  
"I know, but I want to take care of you" he replied.  
"You don't have to. Besides, how many time have we slept on a rug!? I think I can handle a cheap hostel" she kissed him on his cheek, then they leave.

"Oh, I bet your attitude is in your genes" Jude kissed his boyfriend.

Zero might have refused to call her that day worried to ruin her life, but he had been clearly worried without a real reason. And he was so happy that she had proved him wrong.


	3. What if it doesn't work out? Ah, but what if it does.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura and Zero have their first real conversation about their past.

When Laura and Sam went out from the building, she started to cry. They were tears of joy. She couldn't believe that she had already met her long-lost brother. And that he remembered her. And that he still loved her. And that he wanted to meet her again, soon.  
Sam was so happy for her, he held her tight, caressing her cheeks and wiping her tears. He reassured her, telling her that he was by her side - as always. He took her hand and they walked away, down to the beach. He knew how much she loved and missed the ocean, so his plan was to spend the rest of the day there.  
While they were walking, he noticed that his girlfriend was showing a little bit of scare and shame on her face. He had a vague idea of the thoughts that were running on her mind and he tried to make her laugh, teasing her about all the flirting-with-the-security-guy thing - he trusts his girlfriend more than anyone and he knows her past, so no space for unsafe jealousy - but it only caused a couple of laughs, nothing more. When they where on the beach, sitting on the shore with their feet in the ocean, she leaned her head on his shoulder and he started to kiss it.  
He broke the silence, whispering with a sweet voice "He will still love you, he won't care about your past, you haven't done anything wrong, you were only a child and no one was taking care of you. He will understand and he will keep loving you, the way he has always done, the way you've always done. Ok, babe? You've found your brother when you were sure you would have never seen him again. Nothing will tear you apart now. Surely not your past. Babe, don't let it ruin your life again. He's your brother, your own flesh and blood, he is not like those horrible, mean people you've meet over your whole life". He looked at her, he noticed that she was feeling a little less tense, so he tried to make her laugh again "Well, he better do, because if he doesn't behave, I'll have to punch him in his face! He might also be a professional athlete, but I'm bigger than him".  
This time it worked better, she laughed a little, before answering "Mmmm, maybe, but then his boyfriend will come to rescue him and he's pretty big too, babe, I'm scared that it'd be harder. Or maybe all his teammates" as she wiped her tears with a sleeve.  
"Yes, yes, ok, thank you for your support babe, I appreciate it, it's good to know that someone believes in you" he giggled.  
She kissed his neck "I know you are brave enough to face anyone, I'm just being really concrete".  
He met her eyes "What!? You should have told me 'Oh, my brave knight, I'm sure you can fight a hundred men at the same time and overcome all of them because you are the strongest person in the world, my handsome prince charming', nothing else".  
She laughed "But I'm not one of those submissive girlfriends who patently lie to their boys because they need their ego to be feed. Besides, I'm pretty sure you don't need me to tell you those nonsense sentences to let you know what I think about you. You know that I know your value without kissing our ass".  
He held her "Mmm, ok, as you want, darling".  
She rolled her eyes "Oh, my brave knight, I'm sure you can fight a hundred men at the same time and overcome all of them because you are the strongest person in the world, my handsome prince charming".  
He made a disgusted face "Ehw, since when you are such a cheesy person?" and then laughed.  
She lightly puched him "Fuck you, bitch".  
He kissed her forehead "I love you too, babe. And now, text your brother, or call him and schedule a date. We can make a kind-of-double date if you want me with you, so you can stay alone with your brother, but I'll be there too, if it makes you feel more comfortable. Or if you want to see him alone, it's ok, I mean, as you want".  
She gave him a little peck "Of course I want you to come with me! And if we need a little privacy, as I think we'll do, you can stay with his boyfriend... If it's ok for you! I mean, I'd understand if you didn't want to, we don't know my brother, so why should you feel comfortable with a total stranger?".  
He told her "I want to come with you and it's not a problem for me if I have to spend time alone with him, we have so much in common".  
She looked at him "Really!?".  
He smirked "Of course, we are two brilliant working man, with a huge empire to handle, tons of money...".  
She interrupted him "Oh, really!? I have to say that you are pretty good at hiding it, I have no clue. And I used to think that you were only a simple journalist from an average family".  
He went on "...but mostly we both are in love with two crazy, cocky and - I have to say - a little bitchy people".  
He tried to kiss her but she acted like she was offended "Don't you dare! Don't try to kiss me, asshole! The next time you'll touch my lips will be when you'll need the mouth-to-mouth and I'm the only person in the world except you".  
"But babe" he pouted "How can I make love to you if I can't kiss you?".  
She laughed and kissed him "Ok, it wouldn't work. I love you so much".  
"I love you too" he answered "But now take your phone and text him, he doesn't have your number and I'm sure than he's waiting for your news".  
She smiled "My brother".  
He kissed her "Your brother".  
It seemed like a dream. She took her phone and she wrote him "Hey Giddy, that's my number! I'd like to see you as soon as possible, what about today? Maybe this evening, if you are free... Tell me when and where, I'm not the squeamish type... And tell me if it's ok for you if Sam, my boyfriend, comes with me... Xoxo, Laura". Then she called her parents to tell them everything, to tell them how happy she was, but also to tell them how scared she was. People still fear those kind of diseases, she knows it, she knew it. It was all she had ever experienced in her life. He was, he is her brother, but it didn't mean he would have automatically accepted all her baggage. But her parents reassured her. She had issues but she wasn't an issue. Her parents kept telling her, her boyfriend kept telling her; but, for some reasons, her mind kept forgetting it. But they had never complained about having to remember that to her. They were just sad because she couldn't see how amazing she was. But they would have fought for all eternity to show her how wonderful she was.

On the other side there was Zero. Zero, who wasn't sure if it had been all a beautiful dream or the truth. He was speechless. Luckily, Jude was with him to support him, to tell him that it was real. When he finally broke the silence, he told Jude all his fears. And they all were similar to Laura's. His past wasn't that clean. A tortured childhood, all the bad choices he had taken to get where he was at this point, the lies, the plans, the masks. Now he was a better person, mostly because of Jude, mostly because Jude had shown him that it was ok to be himself without any shame, as long as he showed his true feelings to someone who cared about him for who he was, not for what he had or what they could earn from him. But it couldn't change his past. He wanted to be someone Laura should be proud of, not someone she should be ashamed of. Jude was here to remind him all of that.  
When Zero received the text, Jude was with him. Luckily. So he could think about it with him. Just as his sister, Zero wanted to meet her as soon as possible. Because he had missed her so much. Because he wanted to know what had happened to her after that horrible day in their childhood. Because he didn't know how long she would have been in Los Angeles. Because he wanted to know if she would have loved him even if he was a hot mess. Jude tried everything to make him feel calmer, to explain to him that he had nothing to be ashamed for: at the end of the day, he hadn't killed anybody!  
Zero and Jude talked for a little and they got to the conclusion that it would be perfect for them to meet at Jude's old apartment. When their mansion was finally ready, they had to think about their old houses. Zero had no problems leaving "his" expensive attic, which had always been so cold and in which he had never really lived, since he was always at Jude's place, both when they where in a not-relationship and in a relationship. Yes, he had spent some time there with Jude, but it had never felt "home". On the other side, there was Jude's flat. It was a small, little apartment. He rented it when he became a junior agent. He could have rented something more opulent, but he didn't want to use his last name or his father's money to get it. He wanted to do this all by himself. And it was a perfect solution for a single carrer man. But he had never thought that in a couple of months he would have shared that house with another person. With his biggest client. With a guy. But even if Zero was extremely rich, he had never complained about that place. Instead, he loved it. The living room was so small, the kitchen was so simple and the bathroom wasn't clearly thought for two grown-up guys (especially the shower). But that's the place in which everything, EVERYTHING, had started. And when they had moved to their new house, Zero had surprised Jude another time. He had bought his former flat. It hadn't been easy, because the owner didn't want to sell it, but being rich and extremely charming had helped him reaching this goal that seemed impossible. The flat was exactly as it used to be, but no one lived there. So they thought that it could have been the perfect place to meet Laura and her boyfriend: an intimate and private place with absolutely no previous bad memories for her. And it was the perfect place for a new beginning, as it had been for their relationship.  
Zero texted her back, telling her his idea. He was freaking out. He had waited all his life for this moment. He had waited for so long that he was sure it would have never happended. But it was going to happen. Actually, a small piece of it had already happened. The time they had spent together that morning had been short, but he felt like he had never felt before. Not since they had been separated. But now they could come back together. At least for one day.

When Laura saw that her phone was showing a message from "Giddy", she almost cried. She knew what had happened, but she couldn't really believe it. Her big brother was in her life again. The text was a simple "Hey, I think that we may meet at Jude's former apartment, so we can be alone (the four of us) and take our time, what do you think? If it's ok for you! Tell me when you are free and I'll text you the address... Or I can send you a car! Kissy kissy, huggy huggy! :P", but she felt so peaceful after that. She loved the idea of spending some time with her brother and their boyfriends alone in a comfortable house, but not in the place where she had spent the first years of her childhood. She loved the fact that her brother was taking care of her, even if she didn't need all these comforts. She loved the fact that her brother still remembered their special greeting - and it was funny to think about an adult, especially a bad boy, a superstar, who said something like that. Sam was speechless. He had always thought that his girlfriend was the most beautiful girl in the world, even when she was sick. But now, now, now, with these sparkling eyes and this magnetic smile, she was even more perfect. He felt the need, the urge to kiss her for so long they even didn't remember their names. 

Laura and Zero were so nervous while preparing for the evening like they had never been before.  
Zero checked himself in the mirror at least a million times. He fixed his hair, then he thought he didn't like it, then he put more grease, than he felt like it was too much. What if she thought he was stupid because of the color? Was it ok if he wore a T-shirt or was it better a shirt? What if he shaved his face? Jude was sitting on their bed and he was finding amusing how worried he was. But in a kind way. He couldn't wish for anything better than that. So he helped him choosing a classy T-shirt and a nice pair of jeans, before going to that house, to make it looked prettier and to manage everything for the dinner. Zero wanted it to be perfect, so he made Jude's house like the most romantic and nice place in the world, with flowers, candles, coordinated plates, forks and knives. He called the best restaurants to get their better food, so there were dishes from all over the planet: Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Brasilian, Italian... He didn't know her taste, he didn't know her favorite food. He just remembered that she used to love pizza with french fries. And this is really childish. But he ordered it in the most expensive pizzeria in town. He couldn't calm down because one of the most important people of his life was like a stranger. And it made him so sad. But he still knew her heart. And he didn't have to be worried about anything. Except the fact that he had to confess her that he had found her but he had decided not to call her. He had done it for her. But maybe she wouldn't have understood that. And it was a big deal.  
He wasn't alone in his thoughts. In another block of the city, there was his sister who was managing the same things. She wanted to buy him a little present, but she didn't know him and she didn't know what he liked or disliked. She asked Sam to buy an expensive bottle of wine - it was worthy like all the food they ate in a week or more - but what if he didn't drink? She remembered he loved milky chocolate, so she asked him to buy a box of chocolates too. A couple of hours before the dinner, she was wrapped in her towel in that cheap hostel, looking at the few clothes she had brought from home, finding something to look pretty. Jeans and T-shirt were too simple - what if he thought she didn't care? That skirt was too short - what if he thought she was too easy? When Sam arrived there with the bottle and the box, he went straight to her and hugged her tight. He whispered to her ear that she didn't have to worry so much, that everything would have been cool, that that evening wasn't about cute clothes and nice gifts, that the only thing that her brother wanted was to finally spend some time with her, that she could have gone there naked and with nothing in her hands and he wouldn't have minded. But then he said that he would have been a little bit jealous if she had gone out naked, so it would have been better for her to wear something. He suggested her an ivory lace short dress with long sleeves. She let her hair loose, using only a pin to show her face better and she wore just a small amount of make-up. When she was ready and she walked out from the bathroom, Sam was speechless. She was as beautiful as an angel. She blushed when she saw the effect that she had on him and he leaned to kiss her. She felt so powerful because she had him next to her. She felt like she could have told her brother about all her troubles and maybe, maybe, he wouldn't have felt ashamed because of her sister's past. Sam was able to love her anyway. Maybe her Gideon could too.

Laura and Sam knocked on Jude's apartment's door. It was done, there was no more time to escape or leave. Not that she wanted to. Not that he wanted to. But it would have been such a deep and significant evening for both of them and no one is ever really ready for those things. But they were Gideon and Laura, so yes, they could handle it, even if it's hard.  
Zero opened the door with a huge smile from ear to ear. He was a little bit shy, but he kissed her on her cheek and than he patted Sam's shoulder.  
"Please, come in. Laura, you are so beautiful" Zero said, blushing a little.  
Behind him there was Jude, who caressed her shoulder and nodded to Sam.  
Laura blushed too "Thank you... Ehm, that's for you! I hope you like them, I remember that you loved milky chocolate, but I don't know if you still like it... And at the shop they said this wine is good... I mean, I wasn't there, they told Sam so, I hope you like it".  
Zero was so busy at staring at her that he wasn't able to talk, so Jude answered her that he still loved it and that the wine was perfect.

They sat down to enjoy their dinner. Laura loved everything Zero had prepared and she was so happy when she saw the special pizza he had ordered - mostly because it meant that he remembered that too.  
During the meal, they all had gone along petty well. Laura and Zero were a little bit embarrassed, but not in an awkward way. They felt like two teenagers on a first date: they both had so much to say, but the only thing they could do was looking into their eyes and smiling. Sam and Jude understood the situation so well and they kept talking, avoiding the awkward silence.

When the meal was over, before the dessert, Sam and Jude knew it was time for their beloveds to be a little bit alone to talk about all they had to know. Laura and Zero sat on the couch in the living room, while Sam and Jude went in the kitchen.  
The siblings started to talk. It was so hard for Laura, so Zero went first. He started to describe his life from the moment they had taken her from his arms. The sadness of not having her anymore. The guilt. The pain. Then basketball. Then success. Then power, money, fame. Girls. And boys. Tons of girls. Too many girls. And lies, skulduggery, plans, masks. Then scandals. Then Jude. Then mistakes after mistakes. Then Jude again. Then Jude forever. Then the confession "I had found you. But I was scared that I would have destroyed your life and I didn't call you". He thought she would have slapped him and gone away. She hugged him and kissed him. She told him she understood his fears, she told him he could never do anything to make her run away from him. She was so happy that he had been able to achieve his goal to be a good basketball player, she was even happier that he had found someone like Jude, who loved him as much as he loved him. She was happy to know that he had so many troubles, but that, at the end, when he had been able to left that horrible household they had shared for some years as children, he had never experience hunger and poverty, he had always had a roof on his head, he had a lot of fun and access to everything he wanted.  
But now it was her turn to tell him her truth. She was shivering. She should have told his big brother her past. She was worried about what he might have thought about her. That she was a psychopath. That she was a slut. That she was dangerous. Why should he want to be connected with someone like her? No one likes people who have this kind of pain, illness, problems. Everyone feels sorry for someone who has an illness to any part of their body. Except their heart. Not "the heart which pumps blood". But the heart where the emotions are. People who suffer because of that are always labeled. No one wants to be next to them, because they think they are crazy. Laura had experienced that too many times. It's true, now she has two wonderful parents and an amazing boyfriend. But she had dozens of terrible parents, tons of disgusting partners and not a real friend. She loved Gideon, she loves Gideon. But he might not love her. Mostly because she still hated and hates her past. And her past will always be a part of her.  
She wasn't able to look at him in his eyes. She breathed deeply. She started to talk about her life since they had taken her away from him. At the beginning she was talking so slowly. A sentence, a sigh. A word, a sigh. The beginning was easy. She just had to tell him that she went from family to family, because they were too snob to accept someone with her (their) past in their perfect lives. Talking about her childhood was hard, but she hadn't done anything to be ashamed for at that time. She didn't say a word for a minute and her eyes ware getting wet. She became rigid. Then a rush of words came out from her mouth. She told him she had misundersood everything, that she had thought that all those attentions from the guys were the proof of their interest in her, that she didn't know that they didn't care about her, that they were using her and dumping her right after, making fun of her. That she was everybody's fool. That she had understood that too late. That she wanted to disappeared. That she had stopped to eat to do that. That she ended up being just a bunch of bones. That she started to cut herself. That hurting herself was the only relief she had. That she couldn't deal with it anymore. That she had drunk anything she had in her house. That she had tried to kill herself. That she had been saved in hospital. That it had been almost a miracle. That she was too thin, too drunk to survive. But she did.  
Tears were running down her face. Zero had his mouth wide open, he wasn't able to talk. She thought he was disgusted by her. He wasn't. He hugged her. His nose was on her wet cheek. He started to cry. He wasn't. He was just disgusted by the people she had met on her path. He had a bad past too, but she had been through so many horrible things. He hoped he could have helped her during her journey, but he couldn't. They were silent for a couple of minutes. Then they heard Sam's voice in the background. Zero had his eyes closed but he felt that her cheek had moved. A smile came across her face. She told him about the foster family who had adopted her after her recovery. She told him about her relationship with Sam. She told him how good he had been with her. She told him how the three of them had become her family. She told him how they had made her feel loved. But she told him that she had kept thinking about him.  
"Wait, I want to show you something. But it's on my body. So if you can't stand scars, I have to know because I don't want you to fall in front of me!" she told him.  
Zero said it was cool for him, so she opened the zip of her dress and she remove it as much as she needed to show him her tattoo. It was surreal. She hated so much her body during her whole life and now she was showing it to someone she hadn't seen since ages. But he was Gideon, so it was ok. Her scars were mostly healed, but they were there and looking at her skin was a punch in the stomach for him. He was starting to feel guilty. Guilty because he hadn't been able to save her from everything she had been through. But then he saw the tattoo.  
"I made it for you. To have you always here with me. I even don't know if you still like elephants, but I remember that you loved that toy, so I made it. And obviously it's for you. Your name is here too, because I wanted to have you always by my side. Literally. I love you Gideon. I'm sorry that you're disapponted. I know you might have hoped for someone better as your sister, but I swear I'm sorry for everything I've done. I just want you to be proud of me. I'm becoming a better person now" she said crying.  
Zero cupped her face, caressing her wet cheeks with his thumbs "I'm proud of you. You are the most amazing, strong, beautiful and pure person I've ever known. You've gone through hell and you're still as sweet as an angel. You've seen the worst in life and you still have the most kind smile I've ever seen. Laura, you are my sister, I love you and I'm proud of you. Don't ever think the opposite. I can't even think about a better sister, because you are the best".  
She kept avoiding his gaze "No, I'm not. You must be so ashamed because of me. Who wants a psycho-slut as sister?".  
He forced her to look at him "Don't talk about yourself that way. You keep telling this, but it's not. You are nothing like that. You are a real hero. You've survived all the challenges that you've faced during your life. Don't call your self 'a slut' because you've been used by those nasty people. And, as far as I remember, the one of use involved in a sexual/prostitution-scandal is not you. So if you want to call yourself 'a slut', I'm even worse".  
She finally looked at him "No, you aren't, Giddy".  
"And so aren't you. And you aren't a psycho too. Laura, I had a terrible childhood, you know Leo and Carla. I had to live with them until I was 18. You can imagine how my life has been. But you... Nothing can be compared to what they've done to you. I've always thought that they had found a good family for you since the beginning. Now I know that you've spent all this time in this pain, which is way worse than what we have experienced with those two punks. Why do you think you are a psycho? Because you had an eating disorder? Because you self harmed? They don't make you a psycho. They make you a warrior, a survivor. And again, I've spent my life scheming, planning, thinking about how to use people to reach my goals. This is psycho. You must be the one disgusted by the other".  
Laura shook her head "I'm not Giddy, I love you".  
"I love you too" Zero smiled warmly "This tattoo is amazing, its meaning even more. You have my name on your body. You don't know what it means to me. Now, please, put your dress back on. We may haven't seen each other for years, but I'm still your overprotective and jealous brother!".  
She laughed and dried her tears "It's not a big deal, the only people in that house are our boyfriends, so I guess you don't have to worried: I doubt your Jude may be interested in that and my Sam, well, you know, he has already seen me this way".  
"Oh no, please, I don't want to think about that! You're my little sister, how does he dare?!" Zero asked.  
She looked at him with her eyes wide open "Giddy... We are together since high-school. Plus, I'm sure you've guessed that I wasn't waiting to be married for that, so...".  
Zero answered "Ok ok, I know... It's just... Weird! Laura... Does he... Respect you?".  
She had the biggest smile "He does. He's the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I used to think that love didn't exist, that people never cared about the others, that having someone in your life meant to have someone who used you for a quick session of sex and then threw you away. He showed me that love not only exists, but that this is the best feeling ever. He taught me that I'm worthy, that I only deserves people who recognize my value. He showed me what 'being in a relationship' means; and yes, that sex is the highest demostration of love".  
Zero smiled "Oh, I get the feeling. It's the same for me with Jude. I like Sam, I think he's a good guy... Better for him: he may be bigger than me, but I'd be able to kill an army for you".

Both Laura and Zero felt relieved after this sweet moment they had shared on the couch. Yes, they hadn't seen each other for years and years, but their relationship wasn't lost. They still loved each other just like they had never been separated. They just needed a little bit of time to discover little details of their lives, but their love was still stronger than ever.

After Laura had zipped her dress, she hugged her brother and she rested her head on his chest. Zero held her tight. He wouldn't have let her go away from himself.  
Then Laura asked "What do you think our boyfriends are talking about?".


End file.
